


Say "Io Ti Amo"

by chaostheoryy



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Post-Rogue Nation, Pre-Relationship, Undercover as a Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-13 20:52:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4536912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaostheoryy/pseuds/chaostheoryy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hacking into triple encrypted security systems and sneaking into an opera to search for a terrorist is easy. Going undercover as the boyfriend of the devilishly charming Ethan Hunt? Now that is a whole other level of complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bon Voyage

Benjamin Dunn was more than happy to do a lot of different things to help the IMF. Dressing up as a shrub to hide alongside an airstrip and sabotage a C-130 loaded with nuclear weapons? Not a problem. Hacking into a heavily encrypted security system that could easily fry his computer? Piece of cake. Going undercover as Ethan Hunt's boyfriend to gather information on the agency's latest target? Well, that was a whole other story.  
  
" _What_? Why me?"  
  
Brandt, who was sitting across from Benji with a manila folder laying beneath his folded hands, kept his eyes locked on the technician's face. "Because you're the one best suited for this job," he explained, "We need someone that Ethan can easily slip into character with. Someone he knows extremely well and is perfectly compatible with."  
  
"You know, I'm pretty sure there's a dating site for that..."  
  
"Benji."  
  
"Sorry. Go on."  
  
"Look. I understand you may not feel completely comfortable doing field work after what happened with Lane." Benji's jaw clenched and the pit of his lungs seemed to fill with lead at the mention of that psychopath's name. "But," Brandt continued, "We need you to do this. There is no one in this agency that Ethan trusts more than you. Luther knows that. I know that. Hell, Hunley knows it too. You're the only person who can make this mission work."  
  
Benji went silent for a long moment as he considered what Brandt had told him. As much as he was going to suffer by posing as the boyfriend of the man he was harboring strong romantic feelings for, he had to do it. Ethan needed him.  
  
"Well," he said curiously, "When do we leave?"

 

* * *

  
  
Not even 12 hours after his conversation with Brandt, Benji found himself seated in the first-class section of an Airbus A380 with a tall glass of champagne in hand.  
  
"Well, this is... Nice," Benji said with a slightly forced smile as he looked over at Ethan.  
  
The senior field agent seated beside him returned his smile, giving Benji that usual, disgustingly cliché butterfly feeling in his stomach. "It's no private jet, but it'll get the job done." Ethan's eyes wandered down to the champagne glass in Benji's hand. "Thirsty? You powered through that glass pretty quickly."  
  
Benji looked down at his glass to find that he had already finished his champagne. Well, shit. He couldn't even keep himself together _before_ he had to get into character and share physical contact with his partner. "Oh. Yeah. Well, I've never been particularly fond of flying." He placed his empty glass on the wooden tabletop separating him from his counterpart and gave Ethan another half-hearted grin. "Precautionary measures, I suppose."

"Tell you what," Ethan said as a slight smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, "You hold off on pouring yourself another glass and I'll buy you a much better drink during our layover in Paris."

Benji felt his cheeks heat up and was certain that he was blushing. _Keep it together, Dunn_ , he thought to himself, _Ethan's just trying to make the job easier on you_. "Now how could I possibly refuse such an offer?"

Ethan flashed him another inexplicably charming grin. "Good," he murmured before returning his eyes to the complimentary magazine in his lap.

 

* * *

 

As soon as their flight arrived at Charles De Gaulle Airport, Ethan gathered their carry-ons from beneath their seats and made his way out of the plane with Benji following directly behind him. The terminal was bustling with tourists and businesspeople alike rushing to make their connections or find their way to the nearest restroom. Benji watched as a young Chinese couple paused to take a photo beside one of the airport's welcome signs and found himself wishing that he too was on a pleasant vacation with his other half. _In my dreams_ , he brooded.

He trailed behind Ethan for a good two minutes before coming to a stop beside him when they reached the host station at one of the airport bars. "Bonsoir, Monsieur," the young host greeted Ethan with a brilliant grin, "Will you be dining with us today or visiting the bar?"

"Just hitting up the bar on our layover."

"Very well. Go ahead and choose your seat. The barman will be with you as soon as you are ready."

"Merci beaucoup," Ethan commented with a nod.

The pair made their way to the bar and, before Benji could protest, Ethan had ordered them both a glass of the bar's most expensive Cabernet Sauvignon.

"When I agreed to letting you buy me a drink, I was thinking more like a shot of tequila, not a thirty dollar glass of red wine," Benji said as the bartender placed his glass in front of him.

Ethan chuckled softly at Benji's comment and thanked the bartender before addressing him. "Now what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't order you a glass of fine wine every now and then?"

Benji felt as though his heart had taken a tumble down three sets of stairs and fallen into a bottomless chasm. Okay, that wasn't helping to ease his worries about the upcoming mission. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and his eyes fluttered for a moment as he aggressively wracked his brain for an appropriate response. "First of all, you'd be a practical one. Second, that's not an excuse. We're on a job, not a vacation."

"Which is exactly why we're sipping on a glass of cabernet and not doing shots." Ethan gave him a questioning look, the beginnings of a smirk ghosting across his lips. "Now are you going to drink that, or am I going to have to treat myself to a second glass?"

Benji narrowed his eyes and gave his wine a good swirl. "Oh I'm going to drink it. But that doesn't mean I'm going to be happy about it."

"Whatever you say, Benji."

As he sat there with his drink in hand and the sound of Ethan's gentle laughter filling his ear, Benji couldn't help but think, _You know what? This mission might not be so bad after all?_


	2. Benvenuto

Upon being told that he would be traveling to Florence for their mission, Benji knew he would be in for a real treat. Getting to see the city with all its beautiful architecture, classical sculptures, and breathtaking scenery was an experience unlike anything he could imagine. But what he didn't know was that the room he and Ethan would be staying in would be an experience in itself.

When their cab pulled up in front of the St. Regis hotel, Ethan and Benji climbed out and grabbed their suitcase from the trunk. To ease their travel and keep up their appearance as a happy couple, Ethan had insisted they share a suitcase. Reluctantly, Benji had agreed to the idea and, with great difficulty, managed to pack all of his belongings alongside Ethan's without running his hands all over the man's shirts.

"Well this looks a little too high-class for me," Benji commented, looking up  at the flawless white building before him.

"Wait until you see the view."

Benji furrowed his brow. "View? What view?" He hustled a bit to catch up to Ethan, towing the suitcase behind him while his counterpart led him up to the glass doors.

The second they stepped inside the lobby, Benji's jaw dropped.

Every detail of the initial foyer was extravagant. Pillars of dark stone supported golden banisters, beautifully contrasting the white walls and marble pedestals that lined the walls. Skillfully crafted glass panels lay over head, filling the lobby with a soft bluish-golden light that made the flowers on every table look even more divine. All in all it was a place fit for royalty.

It wasn't until he felt the warmth of  a gentle hand pressed against his lower back that Benji's focus was drawn away from his surroundings and back to his companion. He turned his head to discover Ethan standing remarkably close and quickly realized that the hand belonged to the older agent. That hand was surprisingly low for a friendly touch, he noted. But a second of processing later, he made the connection. _Oh. Right. The mission_.

Benji wordlessly followed Ethan over to the check-in desk and allowed the older man to take care of everything, far too distracted by the hand still lingering on his lower back to even consider striking up a formal conversation. He certainly didn't hate the contact but he also couldn't help stressing over it, especially when he had recently started experiencing very vivid dreams involving both that hand and the man it belonged to. If there was one thing worse than being romantically attracted to someone beyond your reach, it was being romantically _and_ sexually attracted to them.

"Here are your keys to the Royal Suite, Signor Richardson," the woman behind the counter said, "If there is anything you may need during your stay, please, give us a call."

Ethan gave her a grateful nod and a quick "grazie" before guiding Benji towards the elevators. Once inside, Ethan used his free hand to press the button to take them to the fifth floor.

"I see we are headed to the top floor," Benji noted with a tone of sarcasm and suspicion, "Which means I'm probably going to have to take a very long, very pathetic moment to process the look of our room."

Ethan chuckled. "Like I said before," he responded with a mischievous grin, "Wait until you see the view."

When the elevator came to a stop on the fifth floor, the two agents stepped out into a long elegant hallway with walls as white as marble and Renaissance paintings hanging beside each of the guest room doors. Halfway down the hall, Ethan stopped and removed his key from his pocket, finally taking his hand off of Benji's back to grasp the door handle. "Are you ready?" Ethan asked playfully, holding the door open just a crack so that they couldn't see inside.

"Just open the bloody door or I'm pushing you out of the way," Benji warned.

With a laugh and a roll of the eyes, Ethan pushed open the door and beckoned Benji inside. "Benvenuti a Firenze."

If Benji had considered the hotel lobby a palace, the Royal Suite was Heaven. Directly across from him was a huge arched glass doorway framed by beautiful royal blue satin curtains. From the intricately detailed tile ceiling dangled a glass chandelier that perfectly complimented the birch colored wallpaper and oak flooring. Portraits of Italy's most famous artists and royalty were scattered about the room as well as paintings of some of Florence's most magnificent landscapes. On the table beside the window sat an orchid whose petals were the purest white Benji had ever seen. Everything in the room was beyond compare, from the couch to the glass table to the baseboards.

Leaving the suitcase and his carry-on by the door, Benji crossed the room and pried open the glass door, to discover that they not only had a view overlooking the Arno River and the southern skyline but had their own private balcony on which to enjoy it all.

"Well fuck me sideways..."

"I was planning to wait until after dinner, sweetheart, but if you really want me to now, I certainly wouldn't protest."

Benji, not realizing he had murmured that aloud, jumped slightly and felt his entire body heat up. He knew very well that Ethan was taunting him for his choice of words but that didn't stop his subconscious from conjuring up a very detailed, very arousing image in his mind. Benji turned and gave him a glare. "Seriously? Ruining my moment with _that_?" He asked in as playful a tone as he could muster given his embarrassment.

Ethan let out a hearty laugh and leaned on the balcony railing. "You kind of had it coming."

"That's exactly what I'll be saying after I slap that stupid smirk off your face," Benji muttered before turning back inside. He definitely needed to step away for a moment. Last thing he needed was for Ethan to notice just how flustered he'd become after the man's teasing statement. A joke or not, his body really had a hard time remaining calm after hearing Ethan suggest that he was going to have sex with him.

Realizing he needed a proper reason to leave Ethan alone on the balcony, Benji found his way into the bedroom. The bedroom itself was enormous. There was plenty of space to walk around, giving the room more of a homey feeling. The king bed, on the other hand, gave Benji a very different sensation: dread. As wonderful as it was to see a bed with silk sheets and golden throw pillows a man could only dream about owning, it was also a daunting sight when considering the fact that having one bed meant either sharing or forcing one man to crash on the couch. And at the moment, Benji wasn't entirely sure which option was worse.

Electing to ignore the problem for the time being, Benji shrugged off his coat and collapsed face-first onto the bed. He immediately groaned in content, the touch of the silk against his skin absolute bliss. "Oh God," he mumbled into the pillow, "I could get used to this."

Almost as if on cue, Ethan entered the bedroom. "Well, you'll have to get used to it later," the older agent announced, "Because we've got reservations."

"Awwww come on! I just laid down! Let me at least have a twenty minute nap!"

"Not a chance."

Benji sat up with another dramatic groan. "You know I'm really starting to think you are an alien or something. You're not in the least bit jet-lagged and I'm pretty sure you haven't aged a day since I've met you."

"I like to consider it really good genes," Ethan responded as he placed the suitcase on the bed behind Benji, "Now would you please get up and get dressed? Battista will be at Ora D'Aria in less than an hour to make a deal with Sarto and I've secured us a table close by."

"And here I was thinking you were taking me on a nice date," Benji said playfully.

Ethan's lips pulled into yet another stunning smile at Benji's words. "Be a good boyfriend tonight, and I might just treat you to dessert as compensation."

"Dessert? Wow, babe, you're the best!" Benji exclaimed mockingly.

Rolling his eyes, Ethan grabbed one of his various suits out of the suitcase and casually pushed Benji over as he passed him by on his way to the bathroom. "Get dressed," Ethan called before closing the bathroom door.

"Hey, Ethan!"

"What?"

"Don't fall in!"

Benji beamed to himself as he listened to the muffled laughter coming from the bathroom. Getting Ethan to laugh was always a crowning achievement and, despite the potentially awkward encounters Benji anticipated, he hoped to be able to hear that heart-warming chuckle a lot more throughout their stay.


	3. Dolce

The entire ride to the restaurant, Benji couldn't help thinking, _This just really isn't fair_. Because as confident as he felt in his white button down, black jacket, and trousers, he knew for a fact that he didn't even come close to looking as sharp as the man seated beside him. The way Ethan's navy blue dress shirt hugged his chest was just sinful. Hell, the man's entire outfit seemed to accentuate his every feature. _Yup. It's not fair at all_.

When they pulled up in front of the building, the cab driver rushed out of the front to open their doors and collect his fee before hopping back in and hurrying off in search of another customer. Stepping up onto the sidewalk beside Ethan, Benji found himself watching a little too closely as his companion buttoned his jacket and adjusted his cufflinks. From the cuff of his jacket, Benji's eyes wandered up Ethan's sleeve, down the entirety of his perfect silhouette, and back up to the man's face only to find that Ethan was gazing at him with a curious expression. Benji immediately straightened himself and aggressively pulled at the hem of his own jacket.

"Were you just checking me out?" Ethan asked in amusement.

Benji's cheeks immediately flushed a light shade of pink. "What? _Me_? No..." He retorted a little too quickly. "I was just making sure you look presentable. Last thing I need is to walk in there with a boyfriend that's dressed to the _fives_." He ran his hand over his head, adjusting his already well-groomed hair. "Tch. Checking you out... How pretentious..." _Way to go, Dunn. On a Smooth scale of one to ten that was a bloody zero_.

"Well then I definitely wasn't checking you out either."

Benji's eyes shot up to Ethan's face just in time to catch a glimpse of the man's impish grin before Ethan began making his way to the door. He stood there for a moment, completely baffled as to whether Ethan was suggesting that he had actually given Benji a once-over just to toy with him or delve into character. It really was kind of hard to notice when his eyes were plastered to the man's body.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Benji rushed to catch up to Ethan. The second that he was by his side, however, Ethan's arm was around his waist and all hopes of getting rid of the stupid color in his cheeks was lost. Panic surged through him as his brain tried to register what was happening and determine an appropriate response. A moment of internal screaming later, he was slipping his arm around Ethan's back and leaning against him as they approached the hostess at the entrance to the main dining room.

"Buonasera, signorina," Ethan greeted her casually. "We have a reservation for two."

"Okay. And what is the name it is under, signor?"

"Richardson."

"Arthur?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Molto bene," she said as she grabbed two menus from the pocket on the side of her stand. "If you two would follow me, I'll bring you to your table."

Ethan gave her a courteous nod and unhooked his arm from around Benji's waist to trail after her. "Grazie."

Remaining close to Ethan's side, Benji followed them across the dining room to a table situated beside a display of various red and white wines. Ethan grabbed Benji's chair, pulling it out for him and giving him a soft smile. For a brief moment he contemplated pressing a kiss to the corner of Ethan's lips to help make it even more obvious that they were visiting as a couple, but decided against and simply gave his companion a tiny grin before sitting down and letting Ethan push him closer to the table. Once Ethan was seated in the booth across from him, the hostess addressed them.

"Here are the menus," she said as she handed them to the two men, "Our wine list is on the back page. And it isn't printed on the menu, but our special tonight is a red Sicilian shrimp dish in a rich guazzetto alongside porcini mushrooms and a potato puré. Take your time looking over the menu and your server will be with you shortly."

"Grazie mille, signorina."

Benji shook his head at Ethan and earned himself a confused look from the older agent.

"What?"

"Nothing," Benji murmured as he opened his menu, "Just the fact that you are pretending to know only a selection of Italian when I know for a fact you are probably just about as fluent as the people working in this place."

A small smirk tugged at the corner of Ethan's mouth. "Yeah, well, how rude would it be if I started striking up a conversation with the waiter when you can't understand a single word I'm saying?"

"Hey, I'm not completely oblivious," Benji retorted, "If I hear the word _'pene'_ leave either of your mouths, I know that conversation's taken a very wrong turn." The smile on Ethan's face widened as he let out a pleasant wave of laughter that left Benji's heart soaring.

A few exchanges of playful grins and witty comments later, they had ordered their food and wine and sat in a comfortable silence as they took in their surroundings. Behind Ethan was a mirrored wall that made it possible for Benji to observe the older couple seated at the table a few feet to his left and take a moment to appreciate the brick archways directly behind him. Honestly, the restaurant was gorgeous. Beautiful paintings hung on the walls, exquisite modern sculptures stood silently in the corners, and the lights overhead were dimmed just enough to give the room an intimate atmosphere.

"They're here."

Benji's attention was drawn away from a young couple on the other side of the dining room and back to Ethan. "What? Where are they?"

Ethan kept his eyes on Benji, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. "They've sat down at the table directly behind you." Before Benji could even lift his gaze to locate their targets in the mirror behind Ethan's head, the older agent interjected, "Don't look. Just listen."

Benji furrowed his brow. "Listen? They won't be discussing anything here. This isn't exactly the most private place."

"Which is the reason they chose it. The last thing they want to do is hold a meeting somewhere remote and risk being followed. It's too overt." Ethan paused and took a sip of his wine. "Here's the plan. I'm going to excuse myself to use the restroom and when I walk behind you, you're going to pinch my ass."

" _What_?" Benji nearly choked.

"Don't ask questions, just do it."

"Ethan, wait!" Benji hissed under his breath as Ethan stood up, "I really don't think-"

But it was far too late. Ethan was on a mission and nothing was going to keep him from getting the job done. As ridiculous as this "plan" of his was, the technician had no choice but to follow along. _Sod it all_.

Biting his lip nervously, Benji turned slightly in his seat and reached out to give Ethan's ass a quick pinch. He watched as Ethan jumped and stumbled into the table Battista and Sarto were seated at. "Oh God, I am so sorry," Ethan stammered, putting on a show as good as Benji's ever seen, "Uh, mi dispiace! Mi dispiace!"

When the two men waved him off, unaware of the fact that Ethan had managed to slip a miniature audio recording device underneath their tablecloth, Ethan turned and threw Benji a glare. Benji smirked. "Sorry, darling," he called after his companion, "You know I can't resist." He then looked at Battista and Sarto, giving them an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that," he said, "He's always been a bit of a klutz."

With a proud look on his face, Benji turned back to the table to wait for Ethan to return. _Excellent work, Agent Dunn_ , he thought to himself, _That's one way to get your hands on that man's ass_.

A few minutes later, Ethan sat back down in his booth with a haughty expression on his face to keep up the illusion that he was displeased with his boyfriend's earlier action. "I have to admit that pinch was a little harder than I was expecting," he said before taking a particularly long sip of wine.

"Let's see, what's that phrase you like to use so much... Oh yeah. Desperate times, desperate measures?" He gave Ethan a wicked smirk. "Besides, opportunities like that don't come around very often."

Ethan let out a breathy laugh and leaned back in his seat. "Yes, well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

 

* * *

 

As soon as Benji had finished his meal, the waiter returned to the table with an excited smile on his face. "I see you enjoyed your beef tagliata," he said gleefully, "Now could I interest you in any dessert? Perhaps tiramisu or Tartufo di Pizzo?"

Benji's eyes lit up immediately. "Tiramisu would be lovely."

"Tiramisu? Excellent choice, signor." The waiter then turned to Ethan, who was down to his last few bites of shrimp. "And how about you, signor? Any dessert?"

Ethan raised his hand and shook his head. "No, no," he said with a chuckle, "I'm struggling just to finish this!" He gestured to his plate before giving the waiter a charming smile. "Just the tiramisu tonight."

"Very well! I'll go get that prepared for you right now."

"Grazie."

Benji gave the waiter an appreciative nod as the man took his plate and grabbed his glass to wash away the remaining taste of his beef tagliata. "Now are you just trying to make me look like a pig, or are you actually full already?"

Ethan swallowed back a chuckle as he finished chewing his last bite of shrimp. "As shocking as this may be, I really am feeling kind of full," he answered with an honest grin.

"Come on," Benji teased, "I'll bet you ten bucks that if I offered to split the tiramisu with you, you'd cave and eat it."

"And I'm not accepting that bet."

"Why not?"

"Because I already know you'd win."

The pair exchanged smiles just as the waiter returned with a bowl of the most delicious looking tiramisu Benji had ever seen. "Godere," the waiter said before heading off to help another guest.

Looking down at the dessert in front of him, Benji swore that their mission was the best damn thing to ever happen to him. He grabbed his spoon and took his first bite, groaning in content as the divine mixture of coffee, cocoa, and cheese kissed his taste buds. "Oh my God..." He mumbled with his mouth still full, "This is the best damn tiramisu I've ever tasted."

Ethan watched him with an amused expression. "Alright, just eat it. Don't make love to it."

"I'm pretty sure _it's_ making love to _me_. Here." He scooped up a spoonful of the creamy dessert and held it out toward Ethan. "Try it."

To his surprise, instead of grabbing the spoon and feeding himself, Ethan took hold of Benji's wrist and guided the spoon right between his lips. The touch of Ethan's fingers against his wrist and the sight of those lips passing over the now-empty spoon was something straight out of one of Benji's fantasy. It wasn't exactly arousing, per se, but it sure as hell was intimate.

Once Ethan let go of his wrist, Benji placed the spoon back in the bowl and licked his suddenly dry lips. "Well?" He murmured curiously.

Ethan nodded. "That is some damn good tiramisu," he agreed with a chuckle of disbelief.

Benji flashed him a coy smile. "Would you like another bite?" He prayed that he didn't sound too hopeful asking that question but damn did he want to do that again.

"Please."

Benji immediately gathered another spoonful of tiramisu and leaned forward to hold it out in front of Ethan. Just like before, Ethan ate it straight off the spoon, making Benji's heart malfunction for a brief moment. A second bite soon became a third, and a third became a fourth. Just as Benji was going to scoop up another bite for his companion, the older agent reached out and grabbed the bowl and spoon from Benji's hands. "It's your turn," Ethan murmured with a tender smile.

Benji swore that his cheeks had caught on fire. "Oh. Um, okay." He leaned forward anxiously in his seat and, when Ethan brought the spoon up to his lips, he gingerly took it into his mouth. As much as he wanted to look away from Ethan as he allowed the man to feed him, he just couldn't. The tender look of adoration in his chocolate eyes seemed so genuine that for a moment Benji couldn't help but think that that was exactly how Ethan would look at him every day if he were in a relationship with him.

A few bites of tiramisu later, Ethan tucked the spoon into the empty bowl and smiled softly across the table at Benji. He didn't say anything at all. Just stared at him, leaving Benji confused and slightly alarmed. Before he could open his mouth and ask if his partner was alright, he felt something brush against his ankle. _Oh dear God, please don't tell me that was a rat_ , he thought desperately. As if to prove that his thoughts were way off, that same something decided to not only brush against his shin but wander up a few inches to rub his knee. And suddenly it dawned on him just exactly that something was.

"Are you trying to play _footsie_ with me?" He asked incredulously.

"Sarto has been looking over at us every five minutes or so. I think he's growing suspicious."

"And how exactly is rubbing your foot against my leg going to help the situation?"

"It's not," Ethan responded casually, "But this is."

Benji furrowed his brow and waited for an explanation as to what exactly "this" was. The explanation, however, didn't come in the form of words. It came as Ethan's warm foot pressed against his groin.

"Oh my God!" Benji exclaimed as he jumped slightly in his seat, banging his knee against the table and drawing every pair of eyes to him. Whatever color his cheeks were normally supposed to be when he blushed, the color that filled them now was not that. He was flushed a rather bright shade of crimson thanks to the deadly combination of embarrassment and arousal.

The waiter, who had been helping the older couple at the table beside them, immediately rushed over with a look of concern. "Is everything alright, signor?"

Benji clenched his jaw before giving the waiter a forced smile. "Yes, yes. We're fine," he stammered out, "If we could just get the check. Someone's getting a little anxious to get back to the hotel room." His eyes darted over toward Ethan suggestively and the waiter's brow raised the second he caught on.

"Oh. Yes, of course. Right away, signor."

As soon as the waiter was out of sight, Benji gave Ethan a deadly glare. "I hate you, you know that?" He hissed under his breath.

"Oh, I highly doubt that," the older agent replied with a disgustingly innocent smile.

"Yeah, well, let's see if you continue to doubt me when you're curled up on the couch for the night."

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, Ethan's ploy to get them out of the restaurant had worked perfectly. Sarto and Battista had given them a disdainful look as they exited, affirming Ethan's hope of keeping them off of their radar. Last thing an Italian drug lord wanted to deal with was a couple of gay tourists giving each other footjobs under the table. Despite his displeasure with Ethan for embarrassing the hell out of him in front of an entire dining room of people, he was very grateful for his ability to keep them both out of harm's way.

Immediately after returning to their hotel room, Benji dragged himself over to the bed and plopped down with an exhausted sigh. "I think I've had enough excitement for one night," he yawned as he bent down to remove his shoes.

"Are you that tired already? It's only eleven," Ethan teased as he strolled over to pry open the suitcase at the foot of the bed.

"This may be a bit mind-blowing for you, but most people are usually pretty exhausted after flying for ten hours and stressing out over whether or not they're going to successfully make it back to their hotel room without a bullet between the eyes."

"My heart aches for you normal folk," Ethan responded with a fiendish smile.

Benji turned slightly to give himself the proper angle that would allow him to navigate the suitcase for his pajamas. "Keep it up and that couch is just going to start calling your name for the remainder of the stay." Grabbing his gray tee and blue pajama bottoms from the suitcase, Benji made his way into the bathroom to change and ready himself for bed. Half-expecting to find Ethan sprawled across the bed with another taunting smirk on his face, Benji emerged to discover the bedroom completely empty aside from the suitcase which was now zipped closed and placed off to the side.

"Ethan?"

Ethan entered from the adjacent room, wearing nothing but a pair of faded gray sweatpants. "Yeah?"

 _Oh good_ , Benji thought sarcastically, _He sleeps shirtless. How wonderful_. "What are you doing in there?" He asked, insuring that his eyes didn't wander any lower than his companion's neckline.

"Just rearranging the couch pillows so that it'll be a little more comfortable to sleep on."

Benji furrowed his brow slightly. "Ethan, you know I was kidding about you having to sleep on the couch right?"

Ethan waved it off and turned back to drape a spare comforter over the back of the tiny piece of furniture. "It's fine. I'm used to sleeping on stuff like this. Besides, you earned those silk sheets tonight."

"Ethan..."

"Benji, I'll be fine. I promise," Ethan said softly, "Now go to sleep. We've got a few hours of recordings from dinner to listen to tomorrow morning. I don't want you falling asleep five minutes into Battista's conversation."

A small frown tugged at the corners of Benji's mouth. He wanted so badly to argue with Ethan and convince the man to take the bed and let Benji spend the night on the couch. But he knew it would be pointless. Any decision Ethan Hunt made was final.

"Right... Well, goodnight, then."

Giving Benji a soft smile, Ethan bid him a good night before turning off the living room light and leaving Benji gazing longingly into the darkness where his figure had once stood.


	4. Intrecciate

The following morning, Benji woke to the smell of fresh coffee. He sat up and yawned, hesitating to get out of bed and leave the soft caress off the silk sheets behind. With droopy eyes and hair a complete mess, he threw off the sheets and stood up with a soft groan. It wasn't until he was halfway to the living room that he became aware of the soft sound of humming coming from the balcony. He paused and furrowed his brow _. Is that... Ethan_?

Full of curiosity, Benji crept his way over to the open balcony door and peeked around the curtains to see Ethan sitting in one of the chairs with a newspaper in hand and a cup of coffee resting on the table beside him. He was already fully dressed for the day with his hair perfectly groomed. Despite the fact that it was only seven in the morning, it wasn't Ethan's preparedness that surprised Benji. It was the soft hum that escaped Ethan's lips that had him mesmerized and full of intrigue. It was like snapshot of Benji's dreams: waking up to the sound of Ethan's voice and finding him painted before a backdrop of red-roofed buildings and early morning sky just waiting for him. God, what he would give to take a picture right now...

"Are you just going to stand there all morning or are you going to drink your coffee before it gets cold?"

Benji was startled right out of his thoughts and stepped out onto the balcony. "Sorry," he stuttered as he pulled his chair up next to Ethan, "I'm still half asleep."

Ethan handed him his own cup of coffee and folded the newspaper up in his lap. "I take it you slept well?"

Benji nodded as he took a sip from his cup. "It's really hard not to when the sheets were sown in Heaven. Which reminds me," he added, "You're sleeping on the bed tonight."

"Benji, I'm not letting you sleep on the couch."

Before he could even think twice about what he was about to say, Benji responded, "Fine, then I guess we're sharing tonight."

"Fair enough."

Benji nearly spat out his coffee. "Wait. Are you serious?" He asked in shock and disbelief. He watched as Ethan took a sip from his own drink, his face completely unchanged. He was as casual and at peace as he had been before Benji had even joined him by his side.

"I don't see why we can't," Ethan replied, "There is plenty of room for two people. But if you aren't comfortable sharing, it's alright. I don't have any problem sleeping on the couch."

"For the last time, you are not sleeping on that bloody couch! You're on the bed and that is final."

Instead of continuing to argue with Benji over the situation, Ethan chuckled and shook his head as he opened the newspaper up. Benji's brow furrowed defensively. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Ethan answered with a devilish grin, eyes glued to his paper.

"Nothing my arse. We'll see just how smug you are when I stuff that damn newspaper between your teeth."

His threat only earned him another soft chuckle from the older agent. "God, Benji, you are just so adorable when you try to threaten me like that," Ethan joked, throwing a teasing smile toward the man beside him.

Benji's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink at his playful words. It was a joke, he knew that, and yet he couldn't help but hope that maybe, just _maybe_ , Ethan kind of meant it. "Yeah, well, there's nothing adorable about a grown man shoving a newspaper down another man's throat."

Ethan laughed softly and leaned back in his chair. "No, there really isn't."

An oddly comfortable wave of silence washed over them after that, both of them enjoying the gentle morning breeze and the faint sounds of the bustling city. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, reminding Benji of his favorite deli back in D.C. Despite being thousands of miles from his apartment, just sitting out there on the balcony with Ethan, Benji felt at home.

Once they had both finished their coffees, Ethan stood and took both cups. "I called downstairs earlier and reserved a table for breakfast, if you're hungry at all."

"I'm starving actually," Benji responded as he followed Ethan inside.

"Good. Then get dressed and we'll head downstairs."

 

* * *

 

After a delicious breakfast of sweet Italian pastries and frothy cappuccinos, Ethan and Benji made their way out of the hotel to enjoy a stroll along the river. It was completely Ethan's idea, but Benji was more than happy to agree. He was eager to see more of Florence and knew that he would need to take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy it.

Having momentarily forgotten about their undercover identities, Benji was taken completely by surprise when he felt Ethan's hand take a hold of his. It was a touch they had yet to initiate. In fact, aside from spoon feeding one another at the restaurant the previous night, this was by far the most intimate thing they had done.

At first it was a bit awkward. Their palms were clasped together and Benji's hesitancy made it feel as though he were being dragged about as opposed to enjoying a pleasant walk. In fact, had anyone been paying attention to them, it would have been far too easy for them to tell that they weren't a couple. _Pull yourself together, Benji. You can do this. Just... Just hold his bloody hand_.

Swallowing nervously, Benji adjusted his hand within Ethan's grip and slid his fingers between his companion's. He was initially filled with panic when he felt Ethan twitch beneath his skin and worried that he had incidentally crossed the man's line of comfort. However, it wasn't even a second later that Ethan's grip tightened and his thumb was rubbing Benji's. The soothing squeeze Ethan gave him made Benji blush.

"Hey, Ethan?" He inquired, hoping to start a conversation in order to distract himself from his own pounding heart.

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering what time you got up this morning. I mean it was only seven by the time I got my arse out of bed and you were already dressed and four sections into the paper."

"Well, I woke up at about four," Ethan replied, "But I didn't go downstairs for another hour and a half since they weren't serving any coffee until then."

Benji stopped and looked at Ethan incredulously. "Hold on. You're telling me, you're functioning this well on less than five hours of sleep?"

Ethan furrowed his brow. "Yes...?"

"It's official, you aren't human."

Ethan laughed and started walking again. "I got used to it in the Army. In fact five hours of sleep back then was a great night."

"You bloody military blokes with your endless energy and perfectly sculpted bodies," Benji mumbled without carefully considering the possible consequences of his words.

"Perfectly sculpted bodies, huh?"

Benji mentally gave himself a solid kick in ass. _Good one, Benji. Why don't you just go lay down in the street over there?_ "I'm not saying _every_ military man has a perfect body. But as a general... group of people they tend to be extremely good-looking."

"And what about me?" Ethan asked with a playful smile, "Do I have what you would consider a 'perfectly sculpted body'?"

"Oh, no, we are not going there."

"Going where?"

"Going down Stroke-Ethan's-Ego-By-Telling-Him-He's-Hot Lane," Benji responded as he side-eyed his companion, "That's the last place this stroll needs to take us."

"I'm going to take that as a yes," Ethan teased.

"You can take that however you want," Benji said dismissively, "But I'm not giving you any official answer whatsoever."

Once across the bridge, they hung a left and walked back up along the southern side of the river. Neither of them said anything for a while after that either. They just continued to enjoy their stroll, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the city around them. Not once did they let go of each other's hands either. They remained clasped together, fingers intertwined as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

About twenty minutes into their walk, they came across a large stone building. Benji was floored. "What is this place? A museum?"

"This is Palazzo Pitti. Today it's a museum but it was originally a palace commissioned by a Florentine banker back in the 15th century and was sold to the Medici family in 1549."

Benji raised his brow. "Well somebody sure knows their Italian history," he said impishly. The sweet laugh that Benji earned made his heart melt.

"What can I say?" Ethan replied with a brilliant smile, "I enjoy a little non-fiction reading from time to time. Now, come on. I want to show you something."

Benji followed Ethan's lead as he made his way around to the back of the palace. What awaited them there was something Benji had never even dreamed of. Directly in front of them was an enormous green pond with a magnificent statue of Neptune standing tall and powerful at its center. Behind it for as far as the eye could see were countless gardens full of beautiful statues and an array of plant life.

"Welcome to the Boboli Gardens," Ethan said softly as he led Benji up to the pond to get a better look at Neptune's statue.

"This place is beautiful," Benji murmured in awe. The statue alone was a marvel, sculpted with the utmost care and detail. He viewed the statue silently for a moment before commenting, "I do have one problem with this though."

Ethan furrowed his brow worriedly. "What is it?"

"Neptune's prick is a bit small, if you ask me. I mean, you would think, being a god and all, that he might be a bit more well-endowed than _that_ ," he offered with a joking smile.

Ethan erupted into a fit of laughter, leaning over the railing and shaking his head. "Really, Benji? Of all the things to comment on."

"What?" He said playfully, "Do I not have the right to criticize another man's work of art?"

"Unless you have a degree in art or art history, I'm going to have to say no."

 

* * *

 

After wandering through the gardens for a good hour and a half, Ethan and Benji found themselves sitting beneath the shade of a large oak tree near Neptune's Fountain. It was peaceful in the gardens. Even as tourists and natives alike walked along the grounds, it remained wonderfully quiet, making it easy for visitors to feel serene.

Sitting on the grass with his hand still tangled with Ethan's, Benji couldn't help but feel content. This was happiness. With a sigh, he leaned against his companion and was more than pleased to feel Ethan leaning back.

"What do you think of the gardens?" Ethan murmured softly.

Benji smiled tenderly to himself as he gazed out at the landscape of marble and foliage before him. "This place is perfect. I wish I could come here every day just to sit down and enjoy the view."

"So do I."

Without a moment of hesitation, Benji scooted closer to Ethan and laid his head on the older man's shoulder. This was his first real opportunity to be close to Ethan and he sure as hell wasn't going to let it pass him by. He didn't care if it was just a part of their undercover operation. For Benji, the love and affection was real. Sitting in the gardens in Florence, Benji finally had his chance to know exactly what it would feel like to be loved by Ethan Hunt. And he wouldn't trade it for the world.


	5. Trionfo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I just wanted to leave a note and inform you that this chapter is a bit shorter than the others and I apologize for that. However, I sincerely hope that the events of the next (and final) chapter makes up for it. Until next time, my dears!  
> -Alli (profoundmurderbond)

By 3:30 that afternoon, Ethan and Benji had returned to the hotel room and were hard at work listening to the recordings of the conversation between Battista and Sarto. Neither of them had said anything about their experience in the garden, but Benji sure as hell couldn't stop thinking about it. The way his fingers fit perfectly between Ethan's. The tenderness of his voice when he told Benji all about the gardens. The tantalizing smell of Ethan's cologne mixing with the scent of roses as he laid his head on his shoulder...

"Benji!"

Benji snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Ethan to see him raising a brow at the technician. "What?"

"Did you hear anything I just said?"

Benji bit his lip and threw him a guilty look. "Not a word," he admitted.

Ethan sighed. "Sarto and Battista are meeting tomorrow night and this time they aren't just going to talk. They're making the trade. 44 million Euros in exchange for the identities of nearly a thousand American and British agents. Which means if we aren't able to do something about it, a whole lot of people are going to become targets of Italy's most notorious crime ring."

Benji swallowed. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that that doesn't sound good."

"No it's not."

"So what are we going to do?" Benji asked, "I mean we can't just sit around and wait for it to happen."

"And we're not." That signature Ethan Hunt smirk made its way onto his face. "We're going to break into Sarto's hideout, steal back the drive containing the list of names, and wipe out his entire his system."

"Sounds simple enough." Benji shrugged. Ethan had broken into secure facilities a countless number of times and deleting information from a network wasn't exactly rocket science for the technician.

"If we're lucky, it should be."

"Good. So what's the plan?"

 

* * *

 

The plan was simple. Under the cover of nightfall they would sneak in through the sewage line that ran beneath Sarto's warehouse and make their way into the basement. There, Benji would cut the power, giving Ethan the opportunity to find the drive while Sarto's men worked to figure out why their electricity had failed so suddenly. Benji, on the other hand, locate the central unit of Sarto's computer system, hack into it, and destroy all its files.

Having cut the power, Benji navigated his way through the narrow hallways of the basement in search of the central processing unit. All he needed to do was find it, hack his way past the security system and terminate all its files. When he found it, however, he discovered two large armed men sitting in front of it. Taking a deep breath, Benji tiptoed closer to the open door way and reached into his pocket, pulling out two small metal spheres. He then tossed the spheres inside the room and bolted around the corner just in time to hear "che diavolo" before the two men screamed in pain and collapsed with one simultaneous thud. After insuring that both men were completely unconscious and mentally thanking Luther for developing the technological terror he had just used to take them out, Benji closed the door and pulled his tablet out of his jacket.

"I've reached the central unit. Hacking into it now," he murmured just loud enough for Ethan to hear him through his microphone.

After a minute of fingers dancing across his keyboard, the bold "ACCESS GRANTED" message came across his screen. "Alright, I'm in. Uploading the kill code." Immediately after that, another message popped up asking him if he wished to delete all files in the system.

"Yes please," Benji whispered to himself as he pushed the button to confirm his order.

He tapped his fingers anxiously against the side of his tablet and watched as the progress bar gradually climbed higher. "85... 91... 97... 100! System wipe is a success," Benji said proudly, "All files terminated."

"Good work, Benji," Ethan's voice replied from directly over his left shoulder.

Benji jumped. "Jesus, Ethan!" He hissed as he turned to face his partner. "You're lucky I didn't have a gun in my hand or I very well could have blown a bloody hole in your head!"

Ethan smirked. "Now that wouldn't be a very nice way to end this relationship."

Benji shook his head and stuffed his tablet back in his jacket. "Please tell me you have the drive."

Ethan reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, black flash drive, holding it up with a smirk on his face.

"Good," Benji continued as he turned and made his way out of the room with Ethan not even two steps behind him, "Let's get out of here. Last thing I want is to spend the rest of my visit to Florence zip-tied to a chair with a gun pointed to my head."

"I take it you aren't into bondage then?"

"You know what, that doesn't even deserve a response."


	6. Amare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the sixth and final chapter of Say "Io Ti Amo". I just wanted to thank you all so much for the heart-warming comments you have all left me along the way. You have no idea how much your support means to me. This has been the first multi-chapter story I have ever completed and probably the fic that will remain closest to my heart for years to come. And it's all thanks to you. I sincerely hope you enjoy this last installment just as much as I did and that you'll continue to enjoy any stories that may continue to come.  
> Sincerely,  
> Allie (profoundmurderbond)

The two agents made it back to their hotel room without any difficulties and immediately contacted Brandt to let him know that the drive was in their possession. Benji was completely relieved knowing that they had succeeded in stealing back the drive and destroying any records Sarto may have had of the individuals listed on it. He could only imagine what could have happened if they hadn't managed to get the drive in time.

Once he was finished on the phone with Brandt, Ethan joined Benji on the balcony where the younger agent was enjoying the view of the city lights.

"You did good tonight," Ethan said softly as he took his seat beside Benji.

"Thanks," Benji replied with a coy smile, "You didn't do too bad yourself. I mean, aside from the fact that I nearly clocked you in the jaw for sneaking up behind me."

Ethan's gentle laughter filled the night air, making Benji feel as though a warm blanket had been draped over him. "I suppose I would have deserved that."

"You bet your arse you would have."

A peaceful hush fell over them then as they sat for a moment just listening to the faint sounds of the city: cars passing by on the street below, dogs barking at one another in a nearby neighborhood, and tender love songs echoing from a cafe across the river. From the balcony, Benji could see the moon's reflection perfectly as it surfed the gentle waves that rippled along the Arno and knew for a fact that it was one of the most beautiful things he would ever see.

Glancing over at Ethan in the hopes of seeing that the older agent was just as captivated by the evening sights before them, he was surprised to find Ethan's eyes were on him. The look on his face was so tender and so fond that Benji was left in a state of awe. That kind of expression was one wore far too often himself. It was the same look of passion and affection he wore when he thought Ethan wasn't watching.

Benji blushed a soft shade of pink and swallowed before giving his companion a tiny grin. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. He felt he should say something, perhaps ask if he felt like having a cup of coffee or comment on how gorgeous the stars looked. But he was lost, too afraid and too uncertain to respond.

Ethan, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what to do. Without saying a word, he reached over and took Benji's hand, intertwining their fingers just as they had when they spent the afternoon wandering the gardens only, unlike before, Benji knew for a fact that there was no acting involved. They weren't holding hands because they had undercover identities to upkeep. They were holding hands because they wanted to. And God did it feel right.

"Hate to ruin the moment," Benji murmured, "But I swear to God, if you keep staring at me like that I'm going to have to kiss you."

The corner of Ethan's mouth twitched upward into a tiny smirk. "By all means, please do," he responded playfully.

Before he could even give himself a chance to think twice about it, Benji leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Ethan's lips. It was short but sweet, exactly as a first kiss should be. There was no sense of urgency, no primal desire. Just love and affection and the reassurance that Ethan Hunt was in love with him too.

"You still want to share that bed tonight?" Benji whispered suggestively as he pulled away.

"That depends," Ethan murmured.

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're going to let me kiss you senseless once we're in it."

Benji felt blood rush to his cheeks as Ethan's sultry breath rolled over his lips. "Now what kind of boyfriend would I be if I turned down an opportunity like that?"

The smile on Ethan's face grew wider and his eyes softened as he leaned in to capture Benji's lips with his own. As Benji closed his eyes and treasured the feeling of Ethan's warm hand caressing his jaw, he had a hard time comprehending the fact that it was all real. That he was actually being loved and touched and kissed by Ethan Hunt. That by some miracle the single most handsome, most courageous man he would ever know was actually in love with him.

"Remember when I said fuck me sideways?" Benji murmured in between kisses.

"Mm," Ethan hummed in affirmation.

"Now might be a really good time for you to do just that."

A deep chuckle rumbled in Ethan's throat as the older agent's lips lingered on Benji's for a moment. "You really have a way with words, you know that?"

"I didn't get a degree from Oxford for nothing, mate."

The two of them exchanged smiles before Ethan stood up, pulling Benji out of his chair. Hands still tangled together, they made their way inside and to the bedroom where the empty bed lay in wait. Just as Benji had always imagined in his fantasies, Ethan was the one to take the lead, gently laying Benji down before climbing over him on his hands and knees and capturing his lips in a slow, passionate kiss. With Ethan's expert mouth working against his, Benji reached up and cupped his hands over the sides of the older agent's neck. He needed to touch him, to remain anchored to reality and remind himself that this wasn't just a dream.

By the time Ethan pulled away and latched onto his neck, Benji was breathless. He was absolutely certain that he had never experienced a kiss as all-consuming as the one Ethan had given him and he sure as hell hoped he would get to experience it again and again for as long as possible.

Benji groaned in pleasure as Ethan nipped at the skin just below his jaw. His left hand snaked up to bury itself in Ethan's hair while his right wandered down to gently rake at the center of Ethan's back through his clothes. "As good as you look with this shirt on," Benji murmured hoarsely, "I'd much rather have it off."

"Mmmm..." Ethan hummed against his throat, "I might be able to accommodate such a request."

Without removing his lips from Benji's neck, Ethan used one hand to unbutton his purple dress shirt. He didn't immediately remove it, however. He kept it on, leaving only his chest and abdomen exposed as he wrapped his lips around Benji's Adam's apple and gently sucked on it. Even as Benji tugged impatiently at his shirttail, Ethan continued to work his mouth over Benji's neck, leaving light love marks scattered across his fair skin.

"Ethan," Benji begged, hands desperately trying to work the open shirt off of Ethan's shoulders.

Ethan obliged, sitting up slightly so he could easily slip the article of clothing right off. As soon as the shirt was on the floor beside the bed, Ethan's lips were back on Benji's and the technician's hands were caressing every inch of skin on Ethan's upper body. With his fingertips fanned out, Benji dragged his palm over Ethan's chest and abdomen, completely mesmerized by the feeling of the muscular torso beneath his hand.

"You know how you, mmm, asked me if you had a perfectly sculpted body?"

"The answer is yes, isn't it?" Ethan smirked against Benji's lips.

"God, yes you do," Benji breathed out before being completely overcome by a new wave of mind-melting kisses.

It wasn't long before Benji was completely hard, his erection pressing uncomfortably against this trousers. As embarrassing as it was to be aroused by mere kisses and the occasional hand grasping his hip, he couldn't help himself. This was exactly what he had been dreaming about. He had spent years longing for Ethan and, now that he had him, his body couldn't resist the temptation of letting Ethan consume him.

Benji let out a gasp as Ethan lowered his hips to grind against him, giving his body the friction it so desperately craved. Instinctively, Benji thrust his hips up to meet Ethan's. They developed a slow rhythm, rolling against one another and letting out long, heavy breaths of desire. After a while, however, it just wasn't enough. Benji longed for more, needed more.

"Ethan..." He moaned out, pleading wordlessly for his partner to take it to the next step.

"Shh," Ethan whispered soothingly as he trailed a line of kisses up Benji's neck, still slowly grinding their lower bodies against one another, "Relax, Benji... I've got you..."

Benji groaned in response and reached up to bury his fingers in Ethan's hair once again, his nails gently scratching at Ethan's scalp. As impatient as he was, he knew Ethan would take care of him. If there was one person on the planet that Benji could trust with his heart and soul to give him exactly what he needed, it was Ethan Hunt.

With his mouth still pressing gentle kisses to Benji's jaw and neck, Ethan grabbed the bottom of Benji's shirt and eased it up the younger man's body to expose his torso. He paused his kisses for a brief moment and carefully pulled the shirt up over Benji's head, immediately returning his lips to Benji's skin once he had dropped it on the floor beside his own. This time the trail of Ethan's lips didn't end at his collar. He kept on going, pressing open-mouth kisses all the way down the center of Benji's chest. Once he finished with the wave of affectionate pecks, he proceeded to do something Benji hardly saw coming: he dragged his tongue right across Benji's nipple.

"Oh _God_..." Benji's back arched with pleasure, fingers tangled in Ethan's brown locks. To say that felt good would have been an understatement. He had never even considered asking a partner do that to him, and yet there was Ethan, tearing him to delicate little pieces one touch at a time.

Ethan's lips soon found themselves wrapped around the tiny knob of sensitive flesh, drawing another long moan from Benji's swollen lips. It was sensory overload for Benji. The sight of Ethan's lips flush against his skin, the smell of his cologne, the feeling of his mouth gently sucking at one of most tender areas of flesh on his body. Every agonizing moment of longing and self-doubt had led up to this moment and as far as Benji was concerned, it was all worth it.

As Ethan transferred his attention to Benji's other nipple, his hands slowly began working on Benji's trousers. He removed Benji's belt first, tossing it to the floor before proceeding to unbutton his pants. By the time he had them undone, Benji was squirming, desperate for Ethan to relieve the pressure they had been placing on his aching erection. More than willing to help him, Ethan removed his mouth from Benji's chest and moved down the bed to remove his trousers. Once they too were abandoned on the floor, Ethan crawled back up Benji's body to initiate yet another round of heated kissing. Instead of letting his hand rest beside Benji's head as they had been, he reached down and dragged his fingertips up Benji's thigh, sending a shiver down the younger agent's spine. When his hand arrived at the hem of Benji's boxers, however, he didn't stop. He let his fingers continue wandering upward until they were tracing the outline of Benji's erection. His touch earned him a sharp gasp as Benji's hips instinctively bucked up to meet his fingers.

" _Ethan_ ," Benji moaned as he dragged his fingernails lightly along the muscles of Ethan's back.

"God, Benji..." Ethan replied in a fevered exhale, "You have no idea what you do to me. Hearing you say my name like that..." He gave Benji's cock a light squeeze through his boxers. "It drives me _insane_..."

Benji bit his lip and choked on yet another moan as Ethan began rubbing his erection. "Then you better do something before I start begging for you to fuck me," he whispered in a husky voice.

Ethan immediately dove back in for a hungry kiss, lips crashing against Benji's in a lustful fervor. He slipped his hand beneath the waistband of Benji's boxers and rubbed his cock with a warm, calloused hand. Benji couldn't hold back the moan that escaped his throat no matter how hard he had tried. How could he possibly do so when Ethan bloody Hunt was touching and kissing him like his life depended on it?

As much as he wanted Ethan to kiss him until he couldn't breathe, Benji needed to get things moving. He pulled away  from Ethan's mouth and reached down to hastily undo the man's pants. "Trousers off. _Now_."

Ethan was quick to respond, briskly removing his pants and tossing them off to the side before Benji's mouth collided with his yet again. Wearing nothing but their boxers, the two men began grinding against each other, hips rolling fluidly to create a tantalizing friction. They groaned into each other's mouths, fingers tangled up in hair and sheets as they gradually lost all sense of inhibition and gave into their desire. Benji knew very well that was as far as they were getting tonight. There was no way either of them were willing to break apart  to prepare for something more intimate. Tonight would be quick and messy and shameless. But it sure as hell wasn't without love.

As Ethan rut against him in desperation, Benji could feel himself getting closer to the pinnacle of pleasure. The burning in his lower abdomen that had been sparked upon their first exchange of kisses was now a roaring wildfire and his body felt as if it would disintegrate if he didn't douse the flames soon. All he needed was one little push and he'd tumble straight into a sea of pure ecstasy.

" _Benji_..."

The sound of Ethan's breathless moan filled his ear and the feeling of the man's sultry breath rolling over his jaw was exactly the push his body had been waiting for. Throwing his head back, he let out a loud, choked moan and arched his back as he came, completely ruining the boxers he was still wearing. It wasn't long after that Ethan followed suit, spastically bucking against him before emitting a long, hoarse groan and leaning down to press his forehead against Benji's.

"You okay?" Ethan panted.

Benji swallowed, chest still heaving as he desperately worked to return his breathing to normal. "Y-yeah... Just a little... Overwhelmed."

Ethan gave him a small smile. "A good kind of overwhelmed?"

"The best kind."

"Good," Ethan hummed. He pressed a quick kiss to Benji's lips before climbing off the bed.

Benji immediately furrowed his brow and propped himself up on his elbows. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to grab a washcloth. You don't want to spend the night completely filthy."

"Oh. Okay." Benji responded with a tiny nod. "Good. Because I'll have you know I don't do shag-and-runs, Agent Hunt," he called after Ethan as the older man disappeared into the bathroom.

A soft chuckle echoed from the bathroom before Ethan emerged with a damp washcloth. "Don't worry, I'm not missing out on an opportunity to spend the night with you," he said as he sat down on the edge of the bed and handed Benji the washcloth.

As soon as they were both cleaned up, Ethan tossed the washcloth in the bathtub and climbed into bed where Benji was anxiously waiting for him. Ethan immediately wrapped his arm around Benji's shoulder and pulled him closer so that he could rest his head on Ethan's chest. With his cheek pressed against Ethan's skin, he could not only feel the warmth of Ethan's body heat but he could also hear the steady beat of his heart, a soothing sound that Benji was certain would always keep him at peace.

"You know how to speak Italian, don't you?" Benji asked curiously, tilting his head just enough to look up at Ethan.

"I do."

"How do you say 'I love you'?"

A small smile tugged at Ethan's lips as he began rubbing Benji's arm affectionately. "Io ti amo," he said softly.

"Good to know," Benji replied with a playful smirk before closing his eyes.

"Hey, Benji?"

"Hm?"

"I love you too," Ethan whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Benji's head.

Laying in bed beneath silk sheets with his head on Ethan's chest and the older agent's arm wrapped around him in a loving embrace, Benji couldn't help but smile. Tomorrow they would fly back to D.C. where Brandt would eagerly be waiting to debrief them just as he always did. Only this time, Ethan and Benji would be hand-in-hand. And nothing could have possibly made Benji any happier.


End file.
